Last weekend, Catharine Pendrel won at the 5th round of the World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada using a protytype Orbea full suspension bike. The bike is interesting as it’s a full suspension 26er in this arena where 29er hardtails are taking most of the wins in the mens and women’s fields.

Catharine is 5’8″ in height so a 29er could fit here ok but she rode a full suspension 26er in this technical course. Her team mate, Georgia Gould was on an Orbea Alma 29er and Pendrel passed her on the last lap, overcoming a big deficit early on.

The bike is very interesting as it has a a rear shock that is flush with a sloping top tube. There is still room for a full sized waterbottle even with a top tube that is severely sloped to give ample clearance for smaller riders. A battery for electronic shifting is mounted for the rear shock so this is probably sporting the latest front and rear electronic shifters from Shimano.

Even more interesting is a big extension on the rear shock. Our suspicion is this is a remotely controlled rear shock module that supports adjustability and lockout. Front and rear locking forks and shocks are cool but it’s not exactly easy to take your hands off the bars to flip a lever when you are in a technical descent.

This is great news as we’ve heard that Orbea has been working hard in research and development at their home base in Spain. Here’s a video from their lab called Advanced Dynamics

Tony Karklins of Orbea said that Katharine won on a 26er bike and that they have 29er offerings launching this summer. They are still thinking about 650b models.

Announcement from Orbea:

Catharine Pendrel took a spectacular win at the 5th round of the World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. And she did so on the new XC full suspension bike by Orbea! On the men’s side, Nino Schurter beat José Antonio Hermida at the finish line. Jaroslav Kulhavý came in third.

The Canadian rider of Orbea-sponsored Luna Chix raced amazingly well, regulating power and strength to raise her arms in the finish line at her favorite race venue. Pendrel’s teammate Georgia Gould, who raced on an Alma 29er, and Marie-Hélène Prémont rounded out the podium. Despite a problem that made her miss nearly a minute, Katerina Nash finished fourth.

Round five of the World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne was dominated by Gould almost till the end on her Alma 29er. The American biker led the race until the last lap thanks to her bike’s big wheels, which were perfect to overcome obstacles such as rocks, tree roots or the uneven terrain.

Gould was leading the race when teammate Pendrel accelerated to reel Prémont in. In the end, Prémont gave way to the two Luna Pro Team riders.

Under a minute behind the leader, Pendrel charged, passing Gould with one lap remaining. The Canadian biker rode to a solo victory and looked really happy when she crossed the finish line. She raised her arms, celebrating victory on home soil. Then she lifted her full-suspension race bike by Orbea, the latest gem created with the help of our Advanced Dynamics software. Would you like to learn more about this bike? Stay up to date with Orbea… Congratulations, Luna Pro Team!

As to the men’s race, Nino Schurter crossed the finish line ahead of José Antonio Hermida and Jaroslav Kulhavý. The Orbea Racing Team man in Canada, Rubén Ruzafa, was 39th.

Photo Thumbnails (click to enlarge)

The founder of mtbr and roadbikereview, Francis Cebedo believes that every cyclist has a lot to teach and a lot to learn. "Our websites are communal hubs for sharing cycling experiences, trading adventure stories, and passing along product information and opinions." Francis' favorite bike is the last bike he rode, whether it's a dirt jumper, singlespeed, trail bike, lugged commuter or ultralight carbon road steed. Indeed, Francis loves cycling in all its forms and is happiest when infecting others with that same passion. Francis also believes that IPA will save America.

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